Meet Our Office Staff & Team Of Physical, Occupational, & Speech Therapists in Wasilla, AK

Rusty Burlingame PT, MS, graduated with a master’s in physical therapy from Boston University in 1999. He moved to Alaska directly after school and has worked since that time in outpatient orthopedics. Rusty has training in advanced manual therapy techniques through the Ola Grimsby Institute. He uses a variety of manual skills to take his patients out of pain and back to function. He spends his time off hunting and fishing all over the great state of Alaska.

Jacob Arvidson PT, DPT, was born and raised in Eagle River, Alaska. He graduated with his doctorate of physical therapy from the University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences in Florida in 2005 and joined Alyeska Physical Therapy in 2006. The Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at the University of Saint Augustine has an excellent reputation for their emphasis on manual therapy. In his free time Jacob enjoys spending time with his wife and children as well as fishing, hunting, camping, and woodworking.

Kathryn Tiemessen, PT, MS, DPT received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise science at the University of Montana, before graduating with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Indiana State University in 2023. She enjoys working with both orthopedic and neurologic populations, and has a special interest in traumatic brain injuries, balance and cardiopulmonary disorders. Kathryn holds certifications in RockTape, Graston and LSVT BIG, and is willing to try a variety of methods to find what works best for each patient. Kathryn grew up in Fairbanks, and is excited to explore southcentral Alaska and to be joining the Alyeska Therapy Center family. When not in the clinic, Kathryn loves to be out snowboarding, hiking and running any races that have a unique twist, such as obstacle course mud runs, glow-in-the-dark races, costume runs and burro races. 

Pamela Burlingame PT, MS, graduated with her master’s degree in physical therapy in 1999 from Boston University. She primarily focuses on patients with central neurological disorders and enjoys working with all ages of clients, newborn to geriatric. Pam enjoys taking a functional approach with each patient and strives to maximize their independence. She loves the variety in her job and her ability to make life-changing improvements in each of her patients’ lives.

Pam grew up in Fairbanks and spends her free time with her family and friends enjoying Alaska’s culture and vast outdoors. She is passionate about dance and is the director for the company EnLiven based out of Sonja’s Studio of Dance in Wasilla.

Valerie earned her Masters in Physical Therapy in 2002 from the University of Pittsburgh following a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. Valerie’s personal values as a therapist are compassion and excellence. She strives to help people maximize their functional independence with creativity and over 20 years of clinical experience working with all ages with neurological disorders in all clinical settings. Valerie is a life-long learner. Some of her continuing education includes certification in Neurodevelopmental Technique and advanced courses in NDT, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Functional Electrical Stimulation devices and application, Sensory Processing, Vision and Vestibular therapy, Therapeutic Listening, Ola Grimsby and Mulligan manual techniques, and Craniosacral Therapy. Valerie is a dynamic therapist who gives her all to her patients, empowers them, and finds joy in their successes!

Valerie enjoys Alaskan adventures with her teenager and friends in every season hiking, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, skiing, biking, and climbing. When she’s not outside, Valerie is reading, leading a Bible study, or participating in fellowship with friends.

Stephanie McCoy, PTA, has over 20 years of experience in physical therapy. She graduated from Colby Community College in Kansas in 1989. Stephanie has worked in a variety of settings including: outpatient orthopedics, early intervention, inpatient rehabilitation, home health, cardiac rehabilitation, and outpatient pediatrics. She loves working with young children and their families. Stephanie is an avid sports fan and enjoys biking and quilting.

Stacy, MS, OT graduated with her master’s degree in occupational therapy in 2012. Since then she has worked in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, homecare, early intervention and outpatient clinics with both adults and children. Stacy primarily enjoys using her strong neurodevelopmental background to assist children with their sensory processing and help them better interact with their world. She also takes great joy in educating people of all ages about tools to improve their independence. From the very low tech, such as specialty spoons, to the very high tech, like smart-homes. Stacy loves helping clients make life-changing improvements to their functional independence.

Stacy is an experienced traveler and loves exploring the different regions of the United States and learning about local history. You might also catch her on stage with one of the valley theater companies, as Stacy is an amateur vocalist having previously performed with groups all across the United States and Bahamas, including one performance in Disney World for their Magic Music Days.

 I began working in Occupational therapy in 2001. I moved to Alaska in 2007 to work at Providence Transitional Care. In 2011 I was hired at an outpatient clinic here in the Valley where I worked exclusively with the 0-18 population focusing on child developmental disorders including Autism, and Sensory Processing Disorder. I completed certification in the following areas NDT Treatment of the baby 2013, Certified infant massage educator 2015, Blomberg Rhythmic movement training 2016, Evidence based Aquatic therapy for the pediatrics and Aquatic Sensory motor integration for Pediatrics 2017. After a brief return to the adult rehab I am excited to be working with Alyeska’s Pediatric families and team. When I’m not working I enjoy getting outdoors for almost any activity. Hiking, kayaking, berry picking, fishing, hunting, cross country skiing or just walking with my dogs in the woods.

Kim Prayner, M.A., Au.D., CCC-A/SLP, has over 20 years of experience in the communication disorders field. Kim is a licensed and certified Audiologist after initially receiving her Master’s degree in Audiology from the University of North Carolina in 1994; she received her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2014. Kim earned her Doctoral degree in Audiology from the University of Florida in 2003. She is passionate about working with pediatric patients and finding ways to maximize their communication skills. Kim has worked in the hospital, private practice, school, acute care, and hearing aid manufacturing settings. She has a vast array of experience working with children who have apraxia, autism, cleft palate, cognitive disabilities, dysfluency/stuttering, hearing loss, non-verbal language, social skills deficits, and speech/language deficits. Kim is a member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA)’s Special Interest Group 1: Language, Learning, and Education and a member of ASHA’s Special Interest Group 12: Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Kim lived in Fairbanks for over 10 years before moving to Wasilla. She spends her free time with her family, kayaking, fishing, snowboarding, and enjoying the outdoors.

Amanda Carver, MS, CCC-SLP, is a lifelong Alaskan who graduated with her master’s degree from the University of Oregon in 2021. Since then, she has had experience working in educational, medical, and private settings, and her passion is working with individuals with complex communication needs who benefit from alternative communication devices. She also has specialized experience and an interest in working with children with dyslexia and learning disabilities, and adults with neurological difficulties. Amanda enjoys serving clients across the lifespan. In her free time, Amanda can be found training for her next marathon, skiing, hiking, and spending time with her dogs.